RCRC’s 2016 Annual Meeting will be held September 28-30 at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Placer County. This year’s program will feature experts discussing a wide range of topics of interest to rural counties including:

An Insider’s Perspective on the U.S. Supreme Court;

Balancing the Benefits and Challenges of Drones;

Implementation of a Medical Marijuana Regulatory Scheme in California;

Expert Commentary on the Current Political Landscape; and,

Navigating the Foster Care System.

To register for RCRC’s 2016 Annual Meeting or to access the current program, click here.

On Tuesday, the California State Board of Food and Agriculture (Board) held a detailed discussion surrounding all aspects of medical marijuana cultivation. The discussion coincides with the Department of Food and Agriculture’s continued development of licensing regulations for cultivators by the January 1, 2018 deadline.

The Board entertained three presentations from varying perspectives on cultivation, including nationwide cannabis advocates, growers from California that want to legitimize the industry, and the agency representatives charged with developing regulations and licensing schemes to ensure the health of California’s environment and economy as medicinal cultivation becomes a legal endeavor within the State. A recording of the entire August 2, 2016 meeting can be accessed here.

This week, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) released a revised biological assessment for the California WaterFix to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with a request to begin the formal consultation process under Section 7 of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The intended goal of WaterFix is to balance the needs of California residents with the needs of Delta fish and wildlife. This biological assessment articulates how WaterFix would be operated to meet the needs of endangered species.

The complete biological assessment, appendices and figures can be accessed here.

RCRC members are encouraged to share letters addressed to state and federal representatives and regulatory bodies with RCRC’s Government Affairs staff. Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties.

AB 2678 (Gray): State-Designated Fairs: Funding. Assembly Bill 2678 would dedicate the State portion of the sales and use tax collected from transactions at fairgrounds (except for Los Angeles) to support small and medium sized fairs. Status: Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File. RCRC Position: Support

SB 1170 (Wieckowski): Public Contracts: Water Pollution Prevention Plans: Delegation. Senate Bill 1170 would prohibit a public entity, charter city, or charter county from delegating to a contractor the development of a plan, as defined, used to prevent or reduce water pollution or runoff on a public works contract, except as provided. The bill would also prohibit a public entity, charter city, or charter county from requiring a contractor on a public works contract that includes compliance with a plan to assume responsibility for the completeness and accuracy of a plan developed by that entity. Status: Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File. RCRC Position: Oppose

SB 1188 (McGuire): Wildlife Management Areas: Payment of Taxes and Assessments. Senate Bill 1188 will return the ‘may’ back to ‘shall’ in Fish and Game Code Section 1504 making future Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments required rather than permissive. Status: Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File. RCRC Position: Support

RCRC members are encouraged to submit comments on regulatory matters to state and federal regulatory bodies, and to provide a copy to RCRC’s Government Affairs staff. Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of regulations impacting California’s rural counties.

Proposed Amendments to the California Cap on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Market-Based Compliance Mechanisms (Cap-and-Trade Regulation). Provides opportunity for public input on regulatory amendments to the Cap-and-Trade Regulation to address areas for the third compliance period (2018-2020) and to move forward with a continued role of the Cap-and-Trade Regulation in achieving the 2030 target. Agency: California Air Resources Board Status: Draft released August 2, 2016 and available for public comment until September 19, 2016. Draft proposal and related documents can be accessed here. RCRC Comments: RCRC is seeking member county input. RCRC Advocates: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org and Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org